Rear Apron Reconstruction

This time around I have decided to construct the rear apron on the car rather than welding it together on the bench. This will allow me to ensure the decklid fits as it all goes together. I have the apron tacked to the car and the H pattern tacked into the apron in this picture. I have already set the decklid in place and everything fits perfectly.

Now the finish welding is almost done. The first pass has been finished and ground down. All that is left is to fill all the pinholes as well as the 2 slits I had to cut to make the apron lay flat. Next up will be to weld the decklid and engine seal retainers in place.

Wheel Well Repair - Part 2

This picture shows the driver side of the engine compartment. I have removed the shelf that sits between the wheel well and the engine because it was damaged along with the rear edge below the bumper bracket. I was able to fix the damage so I can reuse the original piece when I put it back in.

Not only have I gotten the missing metal replaced, but the shelf has now been welded back in too. The body is now ready for a new rear apron. Since that will take the better part of a day, I will more than likely not be able to work on it until the end of March or the beginning of April.

Wheel Well Repair - Part 1

As you can see, the driver side wheel well is a bit of a mess. It looks like the car was driven off-road at some point in it's life. the missing metal is not due to rust but bottoming out on something. There are a few cracks as well as the missing metal, but they are not too bad and I was able to just weld them up.

The new bumper bracket, purchased from Wolfsburg West, has been welded in and fits quite well for an aftermarket part. While it is not truly correct for the car, it will hold the bumper and it's actually stronger than the original, so what the heck.

Rear Apron - Second Attempt

I found a good used rear apron last weekend for $40. It came off a '71 but because all I need is the part outside the smile, it will work well. As you can see I have filled the exhaust cutouts. The new apron is just clamped on the car at this point to ensure fit. Next up I need to do some repair on the driver side where the bumper mounts to the car. Once that is fixed I can finish the apron.